


Shiroi koibito and Roses

by brilliantdream (Reiyezerwyre)



Series: Seasonal Romance [3]
Category: Visual Kei - Fandom, the GazettE
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 20:12:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10771596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reiyezerwyre/pseuds/brilliantdream
Summary: Yutaka watches the young man try to both back pedal and advance in the same breath. It's an Akira that he is only just starting to get to know, the insecure young man hiding behind the confident, self assured barista that swept Yutaka off his feet barely two months ago. It's endearing.





	Shiroi koibito and Roses

Regret. It’s a distinctly adult emotion that only seems to grow and ripen with age. Yutaka has plenty of things in his life that he regrets. Things he would gladly do over if he had the chance. Things he can't help replaying in his mind during those quiet moments he has to himself, repeatedly asking himself, what if?

  
Yet, of all his regrets and the poor decisions his made his daughter isn't one of them. Regardless of how toxic things with his ex-wife have become, or how many times he's had to fight tooth and nail to stay in his daughter's life, never once has he ever questioned whether all the pain is worth it.  
In his mind Akina is worth everything Yutaka has to give and more. And nothing will ever change that.

  
But, joint custody limited to weekend visitations was not how Yutaka imagined he would raise his daughter. Holding the center of his world in his arms for the first time, Yutaka never thought of how much of her life he wouldn't be apart of, or how many small moments he wouldn't have the chance to share with her. Young, naïve and ultimately unaware of how life would play out for him, he'd promised the infant his arms the world, promised that he would always be there for her. But life had other plans.

  
The hairline factures that had always been there slowly grew into fissures and the family Yutaka had built for himself, the family that he had dreamed of, crumbled to ruin. The only thing he could salvage from the rumble, a handful of court ordered days a month with his daughter. Days he would do anything, absolutely anything, to keep. Even if it meant prostrating himself at his ex-wife's feet and enduring the growing role Takanori had in Akina's life.

  
"Taka helped me."

  
Yukata hides the sharp twist in his guts as he look over the card his daughter presented him which when her mother dropped her off. It wouldn't be right to sour the poor girl's smile and pride in her work with the jealousy writhing in his gut. As her father he knows he should be glad that her step father has been looking after her so well, like she were his own daughter, but as her father Yutaka can't help but think about how he should be the one raising her.

  
Biting down on his feeling Yutaka forces a smile. "That's great. You both did an amazing job. You'll have to thank Taka for me when you go home."

  
Home.

  
Home should be with her father, with Yutaka, but it isn't.

  
The smile Akina gives him, all pearly whites and dimples just like her fathers's, is hard to bare, so Yutaka rests his hand on her shoulder. "Let's go watch Maruko-chan, eh?"

  
As he watches his daughter break out into song and run ahead into the living room, Yutaka sets the card on the kitchen counter and tries to push down thoughts of Takanori and his ex-wife. Right now its just him and Akina. If he tries hard enough maybe he can forget about how empty his apartment will feel come the end of the weekend.

  
With a sigh Yutaka picks up Akina's overnight bag and starts down the hall when there is a knock at the door. Confused Yutaka turns to the front door. Who would be knocking when the intercom is right by the door? Nobody, except...

  
Dropping the overnight bag, Yutaka hurries to the door, flipping the latch and opening up to the young man standing on his door step.

  
"Akira?" He asks disbelieving as the young man absently knocks snow from his shoes. His breath raising as fog in the cold.

  
"Yo!"

  
"What are you-" Yutaka pauses at the pale blue bag Akira holds out to him and notes the faint snowflake pattern all over it.

  
"Just got back from Hokkaido and thought I'd swing by and give you this." He jostles the bag gently. "I'm not sure how long they'll last. So figured it'd be best to give 'em to you now."  
At a loss for words, Yutaka unconsciously steps back, inviting the young man in without a word as he has done so many times over the past month. And as he's done so many times Akira accepts the invitation, making his way into Yutaka's apartment only to pause by the counter. A few feet down the hall Akina stands, staring Akinra down a way that reminds Yutaka of Takanori more than he wants to admit.

  
"Who are you?" She demands just like her mother would.

  
"Me?" Akira asks, surprised at her straight forward and unashamedly blunt manner. "I'm Akira, Yutaka's boyfriend.

  
Yutaka chokes on his own saliva. Never in his life has Yutaka felt so motified, except maybe for a handful of moments that he would rather keep to himself, as he processes what Akira's just said and pick his jaw up from the floor.

  
"Boyfriend?" Akina asks, eyes wide, far too young to do anything but take Akira at his word.

  
Akira nods with a smile, unaware of the floundering Yutaka behind him. "Yep, daddy's boyfriend. You must be Akina. Nice to meet you." He offers a hand, which Akina takes, still confused and a part of Yutaka hopes she stays that way. But his daughter's confusion doesn't last long and her eyes brighten as things click into place.

  
"Like Takanori?" She asks, so damn innocent. And Yutaka is ready for the floor to swallow him up as Akira looks back over his shoulder.  
"Takanori?" He asks. The question he's really asking left unsaid. Lucky Akina answers before Yutaka has to explain.

  
"Mummy's special person. He's her second favorite person."

  
"Only second? Who's number one?"

  
"Me!" Yutaka's daughter laughs, clearly thinking Akira is an idiot for not knowing.

  
Straightening up Akira makes a show of contemplating his response. "I guess that makes me your Daddy's second favourite too." He muses aloud. Then drops back down and whispers. "Please teach me everything about your Daddy, Akina-sempai."

  
Akina beams as she locks pinkies with her new friend. "Okay!"

  
"Akina, daddy and Akira need to talk," Yutaka starts, finally finding his voice. "How about you go finish watching Maruko-chan?"

  
"But I have to teach Akira about you daddy." She whines, look to Akira to help back here up.

  
"It's okay, Akina." He reassures her as he straightens up. "You can teach me later."  
Put out, and with no back up from Akira, Akina gives in and makes her way back to the living room.

  
"Now," Akira starts, turning back to Yutaka and holding up the blue still in his hand. "You gonna take this or shall I just eat them all myself?"

  
"Boyfriend?" Yutaka asks ignoring the bag, a part of him still hung up on the word. Something about it felt weird, aside from the fact he and Akira weren't dating. At least he didn't think they were.

  
"So about that." Akira apologizes, suddenly sheepish. "I just thought, you know, after the last couple of months, that-" He lowers the bag and tangles a hand in his messy, barely put together, faux-hawk. "Maybe, I don't know, make it official, I guess. No time like the present, and all that."

  
Yutaka watches the young man try to both back pedal and advance in the same breath, while he free hand fidget's uncomfortably. It's an Akira that he is only just starting to get to know, the insecure young man hiding behind the confident, self assured barista that swept Yutaka off his feet barely two months ago. It's endearing, even if the young man does all he can to hide it and blushes to the tips of his ears when its pointed out.

  
"Alright, then." Yutaka interrupts before he has a chance to second guess what he's agreeing to. "So what is it you've got here?" He asks in an effort to change the subject as he reaches for the bag, knowing that if they talk this out right here, right now he's likely to kiss Akira stupid or go running for the hills.

  
Momentarily stunned at Yutaka's agreement to date officially, but happy to go along with the older man's distraction. "A box of Shiroi koibito, you mentioned before I left that you'd never had them before, apples and a few other things." He explains.

  
"Apples?" Yutaka asked, confused. The Shiroi kobito he could understand, they were the no.1 go to Hokkaido souvenir, but apples. "Why apples? Did you stop off at Aomori on the way back, or something?"

  
"No, they're for a surprise."

  
Yutaka cocks an eyebrow. "A surprise?"

  
"Yes, a surprise, if you would be so kind as to lend use of your kitchen." Akira preens, back to his usual self as he takes the bag back, sitting it on the counter. "And since she is here, the services of your daughter as well."

  
"Why?"

  
"Secret."

  
"Secret?"

  
"Secret surprise. So go make yourself scarce for the next hour and send me your daughter." Akira orders, pushing Yutaka towards the living room.

  
Whipped and all at once curious what the young man was up to, Yutaka did as he was told and an hour later just as Yutaka was beginning to lose track of time the apartment was filled with the smell of cinnamon and honey. A moment later Akina was standing on the doorway of the living room, a beautifully wrapped box of Shiroi kobito chocolates in her hands. Half a step behind her stood Akira with what appeared to be a bouquet of roses in his arms, only they weren't rose, not real ones anyway. As the pair walked in, beaming from ear to ear, Yutaka caught the smell cooked apple coming from the bouquet. Apple roses. They'd made him cinnamon apple roses.

  
"Happy Valentines, Daddy." Akina announces happily, setting the chocolates in his lap as the day's date clicked in his mind. February 14th, Valentines Day. The pair of them had made him roses for Valentines. "From your two best special people."

  
Akira offers him the bouquet with a smile, "You're daughter is an amazing cook." As Yutaka accepts the apple roses, the young man leans down and plants a quick, gentle kiss on his forehead.

  
"Happy Valentines, Yutaka."


End file.
